Home & Garden 2018

YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO LOCAL HOMES, GARDENS, HOMEMAKERS, AND GARDENERS

PRESENTED BY

+ GARDEN CENTER

PRESENTED BY

snow globe on the lake WISSOTA COUPLE SHARES CUSTOM-DESIGNED DREAM HOME words Lauren Fisher

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hen Marnie Keilholz sits by the wood stove in her dream home during a winter snowfall, gazing out windows that overlook Lake Wissota, she feels like she could be in a snowglobe.

Marnie said her husband wasn’t sure about placing the stove in front of the expansive windows.

“Yeah, I was worried it would take away from the view, but it sort of enhances the view, because when you sit around it it’s almost like you’re sitting around a bonfire outside,” Mike replied.

Marnie, owner of HB Lighting and Design Studio, and Mike, an electrician, began designing their modern, clean-lined home in 2015. Marnie calls it her “Venice” house, because it reminds her of California, where she grew up.

“Nontraditional is traditional there,” she said, and she enjoys bringing that west-coast nontraditional design to her neighborhood.

After a lifetime of helping others design their homes and businesses, Marnie was finally able to use her skills to build her own paradise.

“I tried to treat myself like my own client,” Marnie said. She focused on the priorities she set for the home – sustainability, ease of cleaning, natural light and fantastic views – and let herself incorporate features she loved,

such as wi-fi enabled lights they can control with their phones, deep cabinets to house the tools of their love of cooking, and strategically placed windows.

“People are always like, ‘oh I can’t do that at my house. I love that but I can’t do that at my house.’” she said. “If you love it than you should be doing that in your house.

Life is too short. You should be able to come home and feel like it’s your personal sanctuary.”

A central fixture of Marnie’s sanctuary is expansive darkstained dining table with wroughtiron legs, a piece she bought at a market several years ago. Marne doesn’t often buy new furniture for herself, but she knew the table would be a perfect anchor. So she followed the advice she often gives her clients: find something you’re drawn to, and design a space around it.

“I just let her go,” Mike said.

“You know what, she does this for a living, and she’s talented. I was always amazed every day I would come home and there would be a new surprise.”

“I never really thought I’d build my own house,” Marnie said.

But with all the construction and finishing done, Marnie and Mike are left with a spacious place to enjoy their lives with their austrailian shepherd, Hazel, and frequent visits from parents, children, and grandchildren.

PHOTOS BY MARNIE KEILHOLZ

www.kurthheatingandcooling.com

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CREATIVE COMMONS

lawns done simple LO C A L S TA R T S FI R S T A L L- O R GA N I C L AW N C A R E CO M PA N Y words Lauren Fisher

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fter completing a degree in Horticulture and undergoing a three-month class – complete with a final exam – to qualify to treat lawns with traditional chemical fertilizers, it amazes Anthony Nied that anyone can walk into a box store and buy the same formulas to use without training at home. The first time he used chemicals to treat a lawn, he knew it wasn’t the path for him. He developed headaches, coughing, and shortness of breath even when he wore a breathing apparatus.

“Once I had kids, I couldn’t hug my kids anymore when I came home from work,” Nied said. Switching to providing natural, organic lawn care services was an easy choice.

Nied developed the Safe & Simple Lawn Care brand as a branch of his landscaping services, Nied Landscape and Design, and launched the concept in January. His goal is to inspire a grassroots (pun intended) movement to eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Services begin with an evaluation of the lawn and a consultation. Nied determines the viability and needs of the lawn, discusses the goals of the homeowner, and comes up with a plan.

“It’s kind of like going to your first family doctor visit,” Nied said. Some lawns need basic care, which generally involves four or five visits over the course of the warm months between spring and fall. The first is an aera-

“I’m trying to be an advocate, to reach directly to families. Organic as a whole, not just in the lawn care business, is growing immensely.”

A NTH O NY N IED, SA FE & SI M PLE L AW N C A RE

tion treatment, which encourages the lawn to grow thick. Organic fertilizer is applied during two or three visits in the spring and summer, and the season wraps up with a final aeration service in the fall to break up thatch buildup and increase drainage. Safe & Simple Lawn Care provides a health report after every visit to keep landowners up-to-date on their lawn’s condition.

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However, some lawns require special attention.

“You have to have empathy for the lawn,” Nied said. Some land is ill-suited for lawns because of soil conditions, shade, and other factors, and some need services to address existing weed or disease issues. Nied works with owners to determine whether grass is the right choice for their ground, and then to implement a strategy to help the lawn grow thick and healthy enough to resist those problems.

Organic lawn care has its limits: it fights weeds and illness through preventative environmental measures, which means getting rid of existing weeds can take time. But Nied is convinced giving up instant results is worthwhile. The organic fertilizer he uses, which is sourced from Minnesota, is safe for pets and people to play on without risking health complications.

It also poses less of a threat to wildlife and the environment.

“I’m trying to be an advocate, to reach directly to families,” Nied said.

You can find him educating people about his business and the benefits of natural lawn care at events his business sponsors in the Valley, such as RCU’s Rock the Riverfront. “Organic as a whole, not just in the lawn care business, is growing immensely.”

More information about Safe & Simple Lawn Care is available online at www. gotrulyorganic.com.

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PRESENTED BY

big branch-out A LO O K AT D OWN TO E ARTH ’S M A J O R E XPA NSI O N words Haley Wright • photos Andrea Paulseth

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own to Earth Garden ping experience in one location that Center, a local family gives the customer a tease of many owned business offering different senses,” Ben said. The landscaping services and greenhouse will feature a larger retail sales at 6025 Arndt Road in selection of indoor plants, annuEau Claire, has recently expanded als, perennials, shrubs, herbs, and its Garden Center to offer customers veggies. The expansion also added a more complete shopping experithe Mustard Seed Boutique, which ence. The expansion includes three offers items such as women’s clothnew greenhouses, ing, local goods, and the addition of shoes. Locally proa garden shop, a duced home décor, facelift to the Five candles, soaps, & Two Café, a Melnaturel prodnew Mustard Seed ucts, and jewelry by Boutique (which Penny Lodahl and offers clothing and Hello Adorn are locally made goods), available at the boua much larger outtique as well. door shrub and Ben said the BEN POLZIN, perennial yard, inspiration for the DOWN TO EARTH more than 100 more expansion came paved parking spots, from wanting to GARDEN CENTER its own paved road give customers a entry, two additionwhole new shopping al bathrooms, and a large perennial experience – to make it as fun and shade area. enjoyable as possible. Now customBen Polzin, who owns Down ers can enjoy more space, more to Earth Garden Center with his plant life, a gift shop, and a coffee father, John Polzin, and cousin, and panini in a renovated café. “We Dominic Paull, said the expansion can’t wait to show everyone what is has allowed the center to offer a lot new!” Ben said. more merchandise – living and othThe greenhouse, boutique, erwise – including items not previand café are all open seven days ously sold at the garden center. a week. To learn more, check out “We wanted a complete shopeauclairelandscaping.com.

“We wanted a complete shopping experience.”

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PRESENTED BY

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f you can’t buy it, then you’ll have to build it. That seems to be the lesson the red-hot local housing market is giving to potential homebuyers, who are frequently finding their would-be new dwellings snatched up within a few hours of going on sale.

“A lot of people are looking to build or remodel because they can’t find what they want. The houses are selling so fast,” said Christina Thrun, executive officer of the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association.

If you’re one of these people, the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association’s 44th Annual Parade of Homes comes at the right time. Slated for June 9-16, the parade features 15 homes across the Chippewa Valley that have been constructed by a dozen different builders. Five are within the Eau Claire city limits, both on the north and south sides, while others are in rural Eau Claire, Lake Hallie, Lake Wissota, and near Mondovi and Strum.

The homes represent a wide range of prices, styles, and options, offering a smorgasbord of choices for the home-buying (and home-admiring) public. About

everyone loves a parade A N N UAL PAR A D E O F H OMES O FFERS D IVERSE PRICE RANGES, OPTIONS FOR POTENTIAL HOME-BUYERS words Tom Giffey 6,000 people visit one or more parade homes every year, Thrun said. While some just like to explore beautiful new houses, other parade-goers are interested in building homes and want to get a firsthand look at the current options available in everything from fixtures to floor plans. “From the builders’ perspective, they’re putting (homes) in the parade as a way to generate customers,” Thrun said.

So what can those customers expect to see? Houses in the tour range in price from about $200,000 to more than $1 million, so options abound. Thrun said custom cabinetry and white trim are

popular elements of many of the homes, as are vaulted and tray (or recessed) ceilings. Rustic decorative elements are also popular, including shiplap, the barn board-like wall covering popular on home remodel TV shows.

A number of the parade homes feature geothermal heating systems, which are more costly than traditional systems initially but are less costly – and more environmentally friendly – in the long run. You’ll also see a wide variety of flooring options: Thrun said the homes feature less carpet and more wood, tile, and laminate floors. One

home is designed for aging in place: It’s Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, has an elevator, and features an outdoor courtyard with artificial turf that can be more easily traversed than grass by someone in a wheelchair.

Some of the homes including features that, while out of most people’s price range, are nonetheless fun to ogle at. Several have wine cellars, for instance, and one includes a built-in sports court made for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, plus a batting cage.

And while all but a few of the homes on the parade are custom-built – in other words, they’re not for sale – they can still give potential homebuyers a sense of what options are available.

Whether you’re in the market for a new home or are considering remodeling, Thrun advises taking note of what you like and don’t like in the parade and what various builders can offer you.

44th Annual Parade of Homes • June 9-16 • 10am-5pm Saturday-Sunday, 5pm9pm Monday-Friday • $8 in advance (through June 8 or $10 at first house • cvhomebuilders.com

“A lot of people are looking to build or remodel because they can’t find what they want. The houses are selling so fast.”

CH RIS TI N A T H RU N, CH I PPE WA VA L L E Y H O M E BU I L D ERS AS S O CI ATI O N

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PRESENTED BY

natural vibes

D O N ’ T G O C H A S I N ’ WAT E R FA L L S – B R I N G O N E T O YO U R O W N B A C K YA R D

This stunning bac kyard water fall completed by Green Oasis is a full outdoor living space. The flagstone patio is bordered with natural landscaping to fit in with the surrounding environment. The waterfall is constructed with over 80 tons of beautiful boulder rock and washed river rock. At night the entire project comes alive with the use of outdoor lighting throughout the waterfall and landscaping.

Est. 1978

INFO @ GREENOASIS.CO

W W W.G R E E N O A S I S .C O

PARTNER

CONTENT

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PRESENTED BY

bye-bye, bluegrass!

THREE LOW-M AINTENANCE ALTERNATIVES TO TH E TR A D ITI O N A L L AWN words Lauren Fisher

Mowing got you down? Or are you looking to add a lit tle diversit y to your yard ?

There are a numb er of plants that make for excellent alternatives to your traditional grass l a w n. Yo u m i g h t h a v e t o s a c r i f i c e t h e t o u g h n e s s and timeless appeal of Kentuck y bluegrass t o e x p e r i m e n t w i t h a n a l t e r n a t i v e l a w n, b u t the benefits of a switch include aesthetic individualit y and ease of care – and you might even help save the b e es ! Re ad on for the b asics o n a f e w o f f b e a t g ro u n d c o v e r o p t i o n s.

CREATIVE COMMONS

CLOVER

THYME

IRISH MOSS

If you’ve been considering trying an alternative lawn, Dutch clover might just be your lucky break. This low-growing variety of clover is inexpensive to seed, low-maintenance, and hardy – a good choice for someone aiming to get away from chemical herbicides. Clover can’t take quite as much traffic as traditional grass, but it feels great under bare feet. It grows best in low-nutrient soil, and actually functions to fertilize the ground it grows in, which makes it a good partner for a mixed lawn. Clover requires very little mowing, and if uncut, produces white blooms which attract and support bees. This alternative also attracts insects such as praying mantis, and others, which deter plant-killing pests.

Fragrant and often flowery, thyme is more difficult to start, but can provide a beautiful, colorful ground cover. There are many varieties of ground cover thymes, ranging from green bushes to sprays of blooming pink. Thyme does best in well-drained soils with at least four hours of sunshine a day. Once established, a thyme lawn requires little maintenance, as it prevent weeds from sprouting where planted and doesn’t need to be mowed frequently. This plant can take a little traffic, but consider installing stepping stones on main walkways to protect the stems from being trampled too often.

For airy, low-maintenance ground cover, Irish moss is a lovely choice. This light green, finefronded flower doesn’t take traffic well, but in rarely tread areas takes the work out of lawn care. Irish Moss grows to about 3 inches in height. In the spring and summer, it reaches its full height when tiny, star-shaped white flowers bloom. While the plant will tolerate pruning, it isn’t necessary to do so. This ground cover is established by planting many sprouts throughout the desired area; establishing smaller areas of this plant throughout your yard is a good way to reduce the area occupied by traditional lawn. Irish Moss doesn’t care much about the nutritional contents of your soil, as long as it’s kept in a sunny and well-watered area.

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